Nestor

Nestor (Νέστωρ) was the youngest son of Neleus and Chloris, daughter of Amphion. He was the brother of Pero, Periclymenus, and ten other brothers.

In his youth, Nestor took part in a cattle raid and the war against Elis. He killed or wounded a hundred men. During the funeral games held for Amarynceus, Nestor won every contest except the chariot race, and he was defeated by the Moliones.

Nestor also took part in the war against the Centaurs during the wedding of Peirithoüs (Peirithous). Nestor was one of the wedding guests, along with Theseus and Peleus. During the Trojan War, Nestor reminisced how he had killed three Centaurs: Phaeocomes, Chthonius and Teleboas. In the Calydonian boar hunt, he barely escaped alive from the boar, and he was forced to climb up a tree.

Only Nestor survived the war between his father and brothers against Heracles. Nestor was staying in Gerenia at that time. Nestor became king of Messene, with Pylus as his capital. Nestor was sometimes a companion of Heracles, during some of his adventures.

Nestor went on to rule for three generations. When his sons – Antilochus and Thrasymedes – went to Troy as former suitors of Helen, Nestor accompanied them and brought ninety ships with him. Nestor was the oldest leader and fighter in Troy.

During the absence of Achilles from the fighting, the Greeks suffered from a reversal of fortune. The Trojans, aided by Zeus and Apollo, caused the Greeks to retreat. One of his horses was killed in the retreat. Diomedes was the only hero to offer aid. Together with Nestor driving the chariot, they drove the Trojans back and probably would have killed Hector, had Zeus not intervened by hurling thunderbolts three times. Nestor told the young Diomedes not to anger the god, and went back to the Greek camp.

Several times during the Iliad, Homer recounts Nestor's early adventures, in his youth. During the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon, Nestor tried to calm both sides. Nestor also reminisced about when he went along with Odysseus and Ajax the Greater, and unsuccessfully tried to persuade Achilles to return to the fighting.

After Hector's funeral, the Trojans received a second reinforcement from Memnon, leader of the Aeithopians. Memnon forced the Greeks into a retreat. Again, Nestor's horses were either killed or wounded, but this time, his son Antilochus came to his father's aid. However, Antilochus was no match for Memnon, and was killed. When Nestor tried to confront his enemy, Memnon refused to fight with an old man.

Distressed by his inability to avenge his son, he called upon Achilles to fight and avenge Antilochus. Achilles fought Memnon in single combat and killed the newcomer. However, this was Achilles' last day. When Achilles was driving the Trojans back to the city, Achilles was killed by an arrow shot from Paris' bow. It was Apollo who guided the arrow to Achilles' only vulnerable part, his heel.

According to the Roman mythographer Hyginus, Antilochus was killed by Hector, not Memnon; Hyginus did not give any details about Antilochus. And according to Dares of Phrygia, Paris ambushed and killed Achilles and Antilochus at the temple of the Thymbraean Apollo (see Achilles about his alternative death accounts).

After the fall of Troy, Nestor returned safely home with his other son, Thrasymedes. Ten years later after his return, he was visited by Telemachus, son of Odysseus, who was seeking news of his father. Nestor told Telemachus that he had not seen the young man's father since leaving Troy. Nestor directed Telemachus to the court of Menelaüs (Menelaus), in Sparta.

I could not find any reference to how Nestor died, but he probably passed away from old age.

It was not long after Nestor's death that the Heraclids conquered the Peloponesse, including Messenia. The Heraclids divided Peloponesse among themselves, with Cresphontes, the son of Aristomachus, receiving Messenia. See Heraclids in Messenia.